Door latch



2 Sheets-Sheet 1 DOOR LATCH G. K. E. KLEEBERG see aways June 6, 1950 Filed Oct. 9, 1946 June 6, 1950 G. K. E. KLEEBERG 2,510,746

DooR" LATCH Filed Oct. 9, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 15212932308 aumiaw -E i g Patented June 6, 1950 DOORLATCH Gunther-K; 2E: Kleeberg;=Belfast,-Mainea My present invention'relates todoonlatches and particularlyj-to a" door latch of the typ j adapted to be installed in a door having a transverse bore to receive-"thespindlej and intersecting at right angles -agbolt' receiving bore ex* tending inward-1y "fromithe edgeof; the door.

In. accordance with my invention, '1 provide a door. latchhaving; ahousing tobe inserted in the herein the ed g'ejof the door-in which thebolt i is: mounted for movementbetweenan innerunlocked position and an outer-locking position into whicn'generallyi'itis'yieldably urged by a spring:

In; itsflocking' position; the head of the bolt protrudes. from-the edge,of' thevdoor-to enter the lockingaperture-Toff theystrik'e" plate" and has a beveled.face"'disposed-soethatthe bolt is readilyca'mmed intoits' imer-position on "engagement with the'strike' plate-asthe door is being closed. I provide the bolt with a roller disposedin en-- gagement with the inner surface of the housing in a .zone' substantially opposite to' the -beveledfaCeLof' the bolthead to minimize-friction when the; bolt 'is' carnmed into its unlocked position:

I also provide: thezistrike plate" with a double" tapered' rollerdisposed: toibe" engaged by the beveled face of the';-bolt-:headto further facilitate the movementiottherboltinto its unlocked position' as the door is shut;

My latch spindle is. preferably of cylindrical stock andxhas a central portion of arcuate--sec-* tion.. Both thehousing and the bolt" have aper tures through which the spindle may be inserted and the aperture in-thei-bolt iselongated; The

bolt J has a 'centrallydisposed, wedge-shapedelement projectingi forwardlylinto thebolt aperture such a distance; that" the cylindrical portions of i the spindle may pass through the bo'lt aperture when the bolt is fully 'seated'inthe housing. When the extremities of the arcuate' spindle portion onequivalentspaced means, if the -spindle is otherwise 'formed, 'aredisposed to straddle the wedge-shapedbolt element-and thebolt is' released; fromsuchfa fully seated position, the bolt and: the spindle are' interconnected; By this con-l struction; partial'rotation of the spindle causes a camming'actionbywhichthe bolt-is moved into its unlocked-and-locking positionswith the bolt roller ensuringmaximum ease of operationj The bolt spindle extends through rose plates v having hubs-externallyta'peredto ensure. a tight fit in the transverse-spindle receiving bore and a to the 'extremities'of the spindle I attach handies or knobs;

he the handles :mav be connected to the spindles in any desired-way, I have'found it most- Annotation October 9, 194B; steam-atom E 4 Claims: (01. acne-icebsatisfactory to providewmeans' to frictionally in-:

terlock eachhandle to.its spindle lnr:means which so -vary the relation between th'e -peripheralmextent or the spindle receiving bore in the handle? and that of the spindle that the handle is"'suitabl y' secured'thereto; I

This result may be accomplished, foriiexam= ple; byutilizing tubulanstock'and providing each extremity of th'e -spindle with-15a; slot and a 'sub stantial-ly opposite :and outwardly Ydis'posedi rib. The hubot each-handle has a groove to. receive a rib and has an internali annular-f recess" By. this construction, theilhandle".-may:?be::keyed to;

the spindle and,:lin..iaddition;z :IT emplowa. TSGI'BW. extending lthrough'ithe hub; the hub zrecessI and nut adapte'dfto expand: the spindleLiagainst'thel hub to preventithe handle: from beinglpulled'from'z thelspindle This construction alsozvhasi the ad.'-:. vantage that. the screw may be; tightened until. the spindle stock is deformed into thezrecess 0f the hub making the interlockr'betweernthe handle'and thaspindle:moreipositiveeven if the nut: should become loosex or the screw' rshould' fall out;

In. accordance with: my invention 31 1am thus: able to provide a door: latch thatisrinexpensiv'e to manufacture, simple to install;:andcombines ease: with reliability of: operation. a

In the accompanying drawings; 1' have shown I an illustrative embddimenti'oi': my invention from whichthese? and other 10f its 1 novel features and;

advantages will: be readily. apparent, y

In the drawings? Fi'gi 1 shows an installedvdoor; latch in accord-.- ance with" invention as: viewed ;to show1theedge: of the doonand; the double? tapered roller of the strike plate;-

Fig. 2 is a sectionalong: thecliiresrZ-Z "of near.

Figk i is a viewi' similar to- Fig.;13, but .showstheolt in' its unlockedzpositiomandi- Fig 5 Fig. 2. v

"Inithe embodiment'rorf my invention (shown in the drawings, I'have-indicated generally at H!" and l I; a doorancliteirame respectively with the: trim of: thefra'me removed; The doorlllisshown' as having a bore l2t extending through it and in-z tei'secting =atgright anglesi a bore? 13 extending" inwardly from: 'tsedge;

within ne bore fs i's a portin'g -theb'olt is a secti'onx along: the 'lines:"3-'-3 of is a section al'ohgth lines" ii- 5 "o1? v housing i t slidably's upu I ii-Tor movement between its in- 3' nor unlocked position (see Fig. 4) and its outer locking position (see Figs. 2 and 3). The bolt has a head I6 preferably formed to establish a shoulder I1 engaged by a keeper plate I8 secured to the edge of the door in engagement with the outwardly flared end of the housing I4. The rear end of the housing I4 has tabs I9 bent to attach the end closure 28 thereto and between it and the rear face of the bolt I is a spring 2| yieldably urging the bolt I5 into its lockingposition. By this construction, the closure may be readily removed and the bolt reversed if it is desired to use any particular latch in an oppositely closing door.

The bolt head I6 protrudes from the edge ofv the door when the bolt is in its locking position and is adapted to enter the locking aperture of the strike plate 22. The bolt head I6 has the conventional beveled face 23 which, on engagement with the strike plate 22 as the door is being shut, causes the bolt I 5 to be cammed into its unlocked position against the action of the spring 2 I. Preferably, I provide the strike plate 22 with arms 24 disposed to support a double tapered roller 25 in a position to be engaged by the face 23 thereby to more readily initiate the inward movement ofthebolt.

The bolt I 5 preferably has cylindrical portions adjacent its extremities. Adjacent its head end, the bolt I5 has a slot 23 in which a roller 21 is pivotally mounted on the pin 28 so that it engages the interior of the housing along a zone substantially opposite to the bolt head face 23 to ensure maximum ease of bolt movement when cammed into its unlocked position as the door is shut.

I have shown the bolt l5 as slightly flattened in the zone of the slot 25 and the roller 21 as being of a diameter only slightly less than the inside diameter of the housing I4. I also have shown the bolt as flattened as at 29 in the zone of the extremities of the pivot pin 28.

The intermediate portion 30 of the bolt I5 is reduced in thickness as is apparent in Fig. 2 and it is provided with an elongated aperture 3| forwardly into which projects a centrally disposed wedge-shaped element 32. The extremity 33 of the element 32 constitutes a stop as will presently be explained.

To each side of the door I0, I attach as by screws 34 a rose plate 35 having a hub 36 externally tapered to ensure a tight fit in the bore I2 thereby to minimize any strain on the screws 34. The rose plates and the housing I4 are apertured to receive the spindle 31 which is preferably of tubular stock having a central portion 38 of arcuate cross section. The portion 38, where the spindle 31 is of tubular stock, may be conveniently established by depressing one substantially semi-circular portion of the spindle 31 inwardly until it is seated against the other semicircular portion thereby to provide an arcuate section having rounded extremities and being of substantial strength due to its double thickness.

The spindle 31 may be inserted through the bolt I5 when it is so fully seated in its housing I4 as to position the forward portion of the bolt aperture 3| in alinement with the apertures in the housing I4 and the rose plates 35. This enables the spindle 31 to pass forwardly of the Wedge-shaped bolt element 32 and when the extremities of its arcuate portion 38 are disposed to straddle the element 32 and the bolt I5 is released, the spindle and bolt are interconnected. In practice, as may be clearly seen in Figs. 3 and 4, when thespindle and bolt are thus interconnected, the extremities of the arcuate spindle section 38 are both in engagement with the surfaces of the bolt element 32. When the spindle 31 is partially rotated in either direction, the bolt 15 is cammed inwardly or outwardly until the extremity in engagement with the bolt element encounters the stop 33.

While any desired handle or hub 33 may be attached to the extremities of the spindle 31 in any desired manner, I prefer to provide the hub of the handle with a passage freely receiving an extremity of the spindle and utilize means to so vary the peripheral extent of one of the mated parts that a tight frictional interlock is established.

Such a result may be readily attained, where at least the extremities of the spindle are tubular, by providing each extremity with a slot 40 and an external rib 4| located diametrically opposite thereto. Each hub 42 of a handle 39 has an internal annular recess 43 and a groove 44 intersecting it and establishing a keyway for a rib 4| so that the handle 39 may be effectively keyed to the spindle 31. The handle 39 may be conveniently locked to the spindle 31 to prevent its being pulled therefrom by means of a screw 45 extending through the handle hub 42, its recess 43, and a slot 40, and threaded thereon is a nut 46, preferably wedge-shaped. By this construction, the desired frictional interlock between the handle 39 and the spindle 31 is readily established by the screw 45 to expand the spindle extremity tightly'against the spindle receiving bore in the hub 42; If desired, a positive interlock may be established by tightening the screw 45 until the spindle hub is deformed into the recess 43 so that even if the screw 45 became loosened or fell out, the handle could not be accidentally pulled from the spindle.

Where the spindle 31 is formed with ribs 4|, it is necessary to form the passage through the hubs 36 of the rose plates 35 and the apertures in the housing I4 to accommodate them. I have indicated at 41 in Figs. 3 and 4 that part of the aperture through the housing I4 which accommodates the ribs 4| and it will be apparent that when the bolt I5 is positioned to permit the assembly or disassembly of the spindle and bolt, the bolt element 32 is so spaced as not to be engaged by a rib 4| regardless of from which side of the door Iii the spindle 31 is inserted.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that 'door latches in accordance with my invention are inexpensive to manufacture and are very easily 1 installed. While they are well adapted to withstand hard usage, their use is characterized by case of operation and positive action.

What I therefore claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A bolt to be mounted in the tubular housing of a door latch to slide between an inner unlocked position. and an outer locking position, said bolt including a head having a beveled face to be disposed in the direction in which the door is closed,

at least two cylindrical portions of a diameter slightly less than the inside diameter of said housing, an intermediate portion having a slot in parallel with the bolt axis, a roller, and pivot means pivotally supporting said roller in said slot 1 to engage with the inner surface of said housing along a path opposite to said beveled, bolt face.

2. The bolt of claim 1 in which the intermediate portion of the bolt is of lesser thickness than the cylindrical portions as measured at right angles to the pivot means and the diameter of the roller is slightly less than the maximum diameter of the bolt.

3. The bolt of claim 1 in which the intermediate portion is of lesser thickness than the cylindrical portions as measured at right angles to the pivot means, the diameter of the roller is slightly I less than that of the cylindrical portions and the extremities of the pivot means are countersunk.

4. A door latch comprising a tubular housing, a bolt mounted in said housing to be moved between an inner position and an outer locking position, spring means yieldably urging said bolt into its locking position, said housing having transversely alined apertures and a tubular handie supporting spindle to enter said apertures, 1 said bolt having an elongated aperture, a cam 1 trally disposed wedge-shaped bolt element .extending forwardly into said aperture and includ-' ing at its extremity stop portions, the part of said bolt aperture forwardly of said element being dimensioned to accommodate said spindle, and said spindle including an intermediate arcuate portion to straddle said element so that when said spindle is partially rotated to efiect engagement of one of its extremities with one of the surfaces of said element said bolt is cammed' against the action of said spring means until that extremity engages one of said stop portions.

' GUNTHER K. 'E. KLEEBERG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Overby, May 23, 1944 

